Simon and Kaylee: Fifty Things
by DemonClowSorceress
Summary: Number twelve in the Fifty Things series and my first Firefly fic brings out an old favorite, Simon and Kaylee! T for what may appear.
1. Prompts

**Simon and Kaylee: Fifty Things**

**By: DemonClowSorceress**

**Number twelve brings me to an old favorite, Simon Tam and Kaylee Frye!**

**Disclaimer: _Firefly_, _Serenity_, and assorted bits and pieces don't belong to me, but to Joss Whedon**.

* * *

#1 - Misunderstandings

Most were his fault, of course.

#2 - Core

It was hard to measure up to the prim and dignified girls he was so used to seeing. But she didn't stop trying.

#3 - Star

River could stare out at the countless lights of the 'verse forever. Simon only wanted to look at one.

#4 - Doctor

Who would've known the client she picked up would've been the one to touch her heart?

#5 - Trauma

Going back to _Serenity _after saving a life on Ariel was hard. She sat and talked with him until the knot of pain loosened enough for him to move on.

#6 - Death

He barely knew her. Hearing that the mechanic he'd just saved was gone - it should _not _have ripped out his soul that much.

#7 - Sake

"Aww, poor Simon," she giggled when she recognized the taste of his old alcoholic enemy.

#8 - Canton

He had to thank all gods he knew that mudder's milk let him say, "You're pretty...pretty," without making an ass of himself.

#9 - Advantage

She used to believe she had the upper hand. Up until he showed he could play just as dirty.

#10 - Lady

"I never knew your full name. It's - it's beautiful."

#11 - Waistcoat

It was an extra, unnecessary layer.

#12 - Proper

Being beat up by Stitch Hessian was almost worth being reamed out by Kaylee. It was certainly better than being ignored by her.

#13 - Osiris

Standing outside his old home after a year on the run was one of the hardest things Simon had ever done.

#14 - Waltz

When she mentioned how she never got to dance on Persephone, Simon immediately stood up and held out his hand to her.

#15 - Sister

Simon really had his work cut out for him, what with Mal, Jayne, and Zoe threatening to come after him if he dared screw up.

#16 - Etiquette

"Shotgun's a traditional way to greet the boy, right? Jayne, lemme borrow Vera for the night."

#17 - Pink

She was touched when he remembered the little things.

#18 - Tongue

Sometimes he tripped over the gorram thing at the most idiotic times.

#19 - Precision

She loved watching his hands as he worked.

#20 - Tracy

Being jealous of a dead man was foolish. But Simon couldn't help what he felt.

#21 - Surrounded

Kaylee knew her limitations, but she didn't know what made her scream for him instead of the Captain.

#22 - Honor

He tried to defend her whenever he could, even when he knew he'd get licked.

#23 - Cheek

"Isn't there anything about this place you're glad of?"

#24 - Healer

He was not a killer, she knew. But with a gun in his hands and eyes colder than the Black, Kaylee had a hard time seeing her doctor in this man.

#25 - Mal

He just had to come to grips with the fact that his _mèi mèi _loved the Core-bred boy, and that the Doc loved her just as much.

#26 - Pinched

Terror was only one of the emotions he felt when he heard the news.

#27 - Early

The thought of that _hún dàn_ touching Kaylee was what spurned him into action.

#28 - Relocation

"Just what in the gorram hell are you doing in Kaylee's bunk?"

#29 - Cinderella

"It's a shiny story from Earth-That-Was," she murmured as she spun in the dress Mal bought her. "Ever hear of it, Simon?"

#30 - Engine

_Serenity_ would always have her love and care, but Kaylee kept her heart for Simon.

#31 - Terminology

It worried Mal somewhat when he found out that Kaylee knew enough to translate the Doctor's fancy medical words.

#32 - Reassurance

Once he had rested up, he hobbled down to the engine room to make sure she wasn't hurt.

#33 - Bang

River wasn't the only one who screamed.

#34 - Strawberry

He knew exactly what to get her for her birthday.

#35 - Cortex

As a curiosity, she decided to look up the arrest warrants.

#36 - River

"You're being a boob. Princess needs her gorram prince, so get to kissin' her."

#37 - Return

She'd been so damn scared, thinking that they'd be too late and he'd never come back.

#38 - Serenity

They meshed well, the fixer of engines and the fixer of people.

#39 - Ghost

Sometimes, it seemed like all they did was haunt him.

#40 - Dry

Sometimes his sarcasm made her laugh something fierce.

#41 - Shiny

You know you've rubbed off on someone when he's cussing like a pirate.

#42 - Criminal

Whenever they decided to hit an Alliance hospital, Simon was always consulted.

#43 - Girls

They confounded him something fierce.

#44 - Pretty

It was something she didn't get to hear much, so she wanted to hear it as much as possible.

#45 - Bilingual

"Best just spit it out, Doc."

#46 - Only

After picking up the fallen tools, he stayed on one knee, and she felt her heart stop.

#47 - Airlock

Well, at least he hadn't been pushed out without a suit.

#48 - Boots

Another pair of feet soon joined the pitter-patter aboard _Serenity_.

#49 - Marks

The lines faded, but the memory continued to scare her.

#50 - Sweethearts

His whisper of "_Bǎo bèi,_" gave them both the answer they needed.

* * *

**GOD, I miss _Firefly. _Who agrees? Want some one-shots? Lemme know!**


	2. Misunderstandings

**Disclaimer: _Firefly _and all its assorted goodies don't belong to me.**

**Prompt #1: Misunderstandings - Most were his fault, of course.**

**Words: 760**

* * *

For a real smart boy, he said some mighty stupid things sometimes.

Kaylee sullenly lay in her hammock and tried to read one of the nice books Inara had given her about fairy tales, but she was too angry to enjoy the magical worlds inside the pages. She slammed the book shut, shoved it under her pillow and stared at the ceiling, fuming. Thinking about the argument only made her angrier, and she'd retreated to the engine room to try and calm down.

Blowing out a breath between pursed lips, Kaylee reached over and touched the playback of her player. Classical music floated through the air, bringing back memories of the shindig on Persephone. An absentminded smile touched her mouth as she thought of the beautiful floating chandelier, the enormous buffet table loaded with fresh fruits, the pleasant company of men who liked machinery as much as she did...

Older men, much older, dressed in the same kind of finery that Simon wore on a daily basis...

_Gorram it! _Even her favorite memories were ruined by that blasted doctor worming his way in! She switched off the music and sat up, crossing her arms across her chest and huffing in exasperation.

Stupid Simon! Stupid doctor with his stupid arguments and his stupid stupid-face!

It wasn't her fault that he used some Core-slang that she didn't understand. It wasn't her fault that it sounded like he was making fun of her. It wasn't her fault that she snapped at him.

But then again, it kind of was.

* * *

For a guy who graduated in the top 3% of his class, he couldn't understand women sometimes.

Simon attempted to sort through the supplies in the sickbay, but his attention kept wandering away from cotton balls and viral kits. He slammed the open drawer shut and leaned against the counter, a hand running through his hair as he let out an exasperated sigh. Thinking about their fight was only getting him angrier, and he'd gone to the infirmary to try and distract himself.

Sighing heavily, Simon typed in a command and opened one of his old textbooks on the Cortex. He let himself get absorbed in the medical jargon, re-familiarizing himself with the correct placement of organs, the bio-rhythms of the human body, the proper procedures of basic surgeries...

Repairing gunshot wounds to the abdomen, working under pressure to save a girl he barely knew...

Dammit! Even something as routine as refreshing his medical basics couldn't be done without thinking of Kaylee! He snapped off the Cortex link and paced the sickbay, massaging his throbbing temple and sighing again.

Stupid Kaylee! Stupid mechanic with her stupid prickliness and her stupid stupid-face!

..._But it was mostly your fault, _his brain chided him. _You thought she understood, and you forgot she hasn't known the same things you've known. And you forgot how sensitive she is._

_So it's your fault. Again._

* * *

Sitting at the dining table and playing with a spare set of jacks, River rolled her eyes at the almost identical sulking thoughts emanating fore and aft of her position. "Silly argument gone too far," she remarked to nobody in particular. "Silly fight. Got mad because everyone talked, but nobody bothered to listen."

Mal walked through the dining area with a small frown on his face. He noticed River with a scowl of her own and asked, "What's got you lookin' sour, lil' albatross?"

"Angry without purpose over words meant well," said the young Reader with impatience. "Insults when none exist."

"Lil' Kaylee and the doc arguing again?"

River nodded. "They take insult at every little thing. Silly and stupid."

"Part of bein' with a person means gettin' a mite insulted more than a few times," Mal explained with a wry grin. "They'll figure it out themselves. Always do."

"Takes too long their way." The look in her eye should've worried him, but Mal had long gotten used to River's odd plans and thoughts. "Meddle just a little. Won't hurt none."

"Don't break my ship!" Mal shouted as she disappeared into the corridor.

Fifteen minutes later, he heard the door of the engine room was slam shut and lock from the inside. River had a smug grin on her face as she rounded the corner skipping. "Didn't break the ship," she assured him on her way back up to the bridge.

Mal rolled his eyes. "At least they locked the door this time."

* * *

**Let's fire it up!**

**Review please!**


	3. Core

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Firefly._**

**Prompt #2: Core - It was hard to measure up to the prim and dignified girls he was so used to seeing. But she didn't stop trying.**

**Words: 853**

* * *

Elbow on the console, her hand cradling her chin, Kaylee lazily swiped through the Core dress catalog she'd found on the Cortex. She'd never have half as many credits needed to buy any of them, but she enjoyed looking at the pretty designs. Her eyes followed the seams of the latest slinky dress up to the model's beautiful face, and she couldn't help sighing.

_Core-bred girls are awful pretty, 'specially the dress-wearin' kind, _she thought. _All dressed up and painted pretty like Inara is when she goes out for romance, and they don't even hafta sleep with men. They can just look pretty..._

The hand supporting her chin moved to rub the rough fabric of her overalls. She couldn't help fantasizing herself in one of the lovely dresses she had seen, wearing wonderfully shiny jewels like the ones Inara owned, her hair done up fancy and wearing elegant perfume. Just like how she'd been when she'd gone with the Captain to Persephone's shindig...

The fantasy was suddenly derailed by the unpleasant memory of the socialites she'd met. She'd looked just as pretty as they had, but they still made fun of her rough, uncultured ways. If that older gentleman hadn't come to her rescue so gallantly, she might've passed the entire party stuffing her face at the buffet table in misery.

Frowning slightly, Kaylee stood up and pulled out the pair of high heeled shoes she'd borrowed from Inara. She shucked off her boots, rolled up her pant legs, and slipped the pretty silver shoes on. Her feet protested when she tried to stand like the model in the catalog. It felt stiff and unnatural, put strain on her shoulders and hurt her lower back, and made her knees wobble and bend as she fought to stay erect. She gave up and leaned against _Serenity's _engine, heaving an exasperated sigh.

"_Wou duh tian ah_," she gasped. "How the hell do they stand like that in heels?"

A small chuckle drew her attention to the doorway of the engine room where Inara, dressed in her red silk Chinese house robe, was leaning. "Many girls your age have been walking in heels for almost a decade," she said. "It's really about balance and practice."

"Great," Kaylee groaned again. "_Wo cao_."

"I wouldn't go that far. May I ask what you're trying to do?"

"I..." It sounded stupid, but the mechanic knew Inara would never laugh at her. In many ways the Companion was like mother and sister to her, not to mention an invaluable friend when it came to female things. "Them Core models looked so graceful in the catalog in heels, so I thought..."

Inara nodded in understanding. "Well, I don't think the engine room is the proper place to wear those shoes, Kaylee. You need a flat, stable area to practice walking in heels, not the inside of a spaceship where your heel can get stuck in a grate."

"But I hafta practice before we get to Ceres!" The look in her eye made Kaylee stammer nervously, "Wh-What?"

"Oh, just that Ceres is renowned for being a popular place for, shall we say, romantic outings. There is a lovely soirée that I'm attending once we - Ah." Inara's eyebrow rose as her smile grew. "Tell me, does this sudden fascination with wearing high heels have something to do with the good doctor?"

"Wh-What makes you say that?"

A patter of bare feet on metal signaled the arrival of River. She leaned around the doorway and said, "Happy as a clam, humming and grinning wider than disappearing cats. Excited for Ceres. Even he loves a good party." Those mad-touched eyes blinked comically. "Can't wait to show you Ceres."

Unfortunately, her words didn't make Kaylee feel any better. Manners really hadn't been a big part of her formal education. Sure, she could say "please" and "thank you" and be polite enough when needed, but poise and graceful posture hadn't been necessary for a gearhead girl living on a backworld moon, and you couldn't really worry about having soft hands or light footsteps when you're tromping through the engine room to fix any number of problems with a touchy system like _Serenity_. She wasn't the type of girl someone could show off at a party on a respectable Core planet like Ceres.

"Doesn't want you to change for him," River stated. "Doesn't want polished china. He loves you, engine grease and all."

"I know." Gods, did she know Simon loved her. "But I still wanna try, River."

"Well then," said Inara as she clapped her hands decisively. "Why don't we go to my shuttle? Carpet is a much better practice floor than the grated floor of the engine room. I'm sure _Serenity _can behave herself for a time."

River nodded. "Wanna come too. We'll both learn to wobble pretty."

Kaylee smiled brightly at both her female crewmates. "Thank you."

* * *

_Wou duh tian ah_ - "Oh my God."

_Wo cao_ - "I'm f*cked."

* * *

**Some female bonding aboard _Serenity!_**

**Review please!**


	4. Star

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Firefly _or the episode "Bushwhacked."**

**Prompt #3: Star - River could stare out at the countless lights of the 'verse forever. Simon only wanted to look at one.**

**Words: 585**

* * *

"Is it too much to ask that we not run into unpleasantness once in a while?" Mal moaned as he dropped into a chair in the dining room. "Just once, can't a job go smooth and we make a decent profit?"

Zoe chuckled. "Askin' for a lot there, ain't you sir?"

"I figure the 'verse owes us some slack given recent events."

Simon smiled at the light banter between the captain and his first mate as he prepared dinner. It helped disperse some of the tension still lingering after the close brush with the Alliance and the man-turned-Reaver.

Thinking about made Simon recall his and River's time outside the ship. River had barely noticed the danger, staring out at the vastness of space with the wonderment he thought she'd lost in the Academy, but the emptiness scared him. There was too space of it, and the faraway pinpricks of starlight winked like impish eyes. Silent except for the sound of his own breathing, a protective suit encasing his body from the harsh vacuum of space, only his grip and a lifeline keeping him attached to _Serenity's _hull.

To keep himself from screaming, or worse, losing his mind, the young surgeon had turned his face away from the black and shut his eyes. His panicked mind searched for something to calm himself, but instead of reciting the names of famous surgeons or counting off the number of sutures needed in certain incisions, a face swam into focus behind his eyes.

Kaylee.

He clung to the image like a drowning man clutching a life raft. Her voice, her hair, that pretty little laugh and cute button nose. The way she smiled when she asked him to play their strange game. The glitter in her eyes when she teased him. Those vaguely sexual remarks that had him stammering and her smirking. Those are what kept him focused and calm until the Alliance soldiers finished their sweep and he and River were able to return inside the ship.

Coming back to the present, Simon found himself looking around the galley in search of Kaylee. He spotted her sitting with River on the couch beyond the galley, chattering and giggling about something he couldn't discern. His sister was smiling and didn't seem any the worse for wear, but only a part of Simon was really watching her. The main part of his focus was on Kaylee.

He wanted for very little in his life anymore. First and foremost was his sister's happiness, obviously, and her slow but steady recovery from whatever hell the Academy did to her. River could want all the stars in the 'verse, and Simon would move the heavens so she could touch them.

But he was grateful that, of all the disreputable-looking space heaps that sailed across the Black, he found the one named _Serenity_ and chatted up the pretty mechanic sitting outside. Glad that he decided to climb aboard and fall in with these pirates who took him and River in. Happy that he found a friend, and a great deal more, in Kaylee.

He wanted to be more with her, but Simon's first duty was to keep his sister safe, and he couldn't force himself to divide his time for anyone else right now. It wouldn't be fair to himself, to River or to Kaylee.

So, like he did every night, he watched his star twinkle from afar and smiled.

* * *

**Follow-up to "Bushwhacked."**

**Sorry for the long stretch without an update!**

**Review please!**


	5. Doctor

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Firefly _or _Serenity_.**

**Prompt #4: Doctor - Who would've known the client she picked up would've been the one to touch her heart?**

**Words: 411**

* * *

I can't really say when I fell for Simon.

Strange, ain't it? I mean, isn't a person s'posed to know when they start likin' a person more than just...likin' them?

Minute he stepped aboard, I carried the biggest torch for him. Handsome fellow, clean and neat as only Core-bred folk can be, real proper and smart. And a doctor, top surgeon out of Osiris and got the skills to match. _Serenity _needed a doctor real bad.

Got shot first day he and River were aboard _Serenity, _and he fixed it so's I only got a small scar on my stomach. No pain, no fuss, no nothin'. Think that's when I started really likin' him. Cap'n said it was just a crush, that it'd pass. Near on a year later, it's still goin' strong.

But he's made it fair tough to love him. He's got his principles, his manners and his gentleman-like ideas 'bout how men and women should be together. He believes in courtin', in bein' polite and goin' slow as a garbage scow missin' a propulsion unit.

It's confounding as all get-out. I mean, I understand engines. Machines just need to be well-oiled and tuned up regular and fixed proper, and they'll work like they're supposed to work. No hiccups, no surprises, nothing. If it breaks, you fix it again.

Most men I've known are the same way. Not Simon. One day he can be sweet and speakin' nice things 'bout how pretty I am, then he'll take it back or say somethin' stupid and mean. He acts like I'm the only girl in his 'verse or he treats me like some piece of _go suh _he scraped off the bottom of his boot. Sometimes we laugh 'bout silly things, other times I'm tryin' to understand why he and I don't just go at it in the engine room. Or in my bunk. Anyplace, really.

Can't really figure when I fell in love with him. All's I can say now, lyin' next to him on the engine room floor, hearin' the hum of _Serenity's _engine and his heartbeat under my ear, his breath blowin' 'cross my cheek, is that I know I love him.

And I'll love him for a long, long time. No matter how confusin' he gets.

He's my doctor.

* * *

_Go suh - _"Crap."

* * *

**A little tag to the end of _Serenity._**

**Review please!**


	6. Trauma

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Firefly_.**

**Prompt #5: Trauma - Going back to _Serenity _after saving a life on Ariel was hard. She sat and talked with him until the knot of pain loosened enough for him to move on.**

**Words: 877**

* * *

The haul off the Ariel job was more than they'd ever come away with before. Even after restocking the infirmary with the absolute necessities, there was enough medicine and kits to make a hefty profit.

Mal decreed that they'd sell the medicine in small amounts to several honest businessmen so as to keep the scent thin for the Alliance. This meant several stops at planets that were just beyond Core boundaries, which meant that Inara could make appointments with quite a few of her clients while they made their drops. Once they'd sold off the bulk of their cargo, Mal promised a vacation on a nice resort planet for everyone on the _Serenity_.

But amid the celebration and giddiness of a job well done, Kaylee couldn't help noticing that their mastermind was nowhere to be seen. Grabbing two bottles of the fermented grape liquid she called "wine" the young mechanic slipped through the press of her cheering crewmates and went in search of the good doctor.

* * *

Simon heard the rest of the crew celebrating through the open doors of the infirmary, but he didn't rise to join them. River was back in her room, dosed with new medications and sleeping off the whole experience. He had her brain scans to decipher and neural damage to assess.

Besides, he was in no mood to celebrate.

Going to Ariel had re-opened a part of his life that he'd been trying to forget for the longest time. The bustling closeness of a crowded hospital, the smell of disinfecting agents and crisp linens, the overlapping voices of doctors and nurses and patients clamoring to be heard over one another, it all sounded so familiar and so right. Like a city boy coming home from a stay in the country. He knew exactly what to say, who to say it to, and how to navigate the hallways while attracting the least amount of attention. He could read a situation and act accordingly. He wasn't awkward or unsure of himself.

Hospitals were his battlefield, and he was a veteran of its halls. For the first time in a very long time, Simon had been in his element. Now he was back aboard _Serenity _and he felt more alone than ever before.

"Simon?"

He looked over at the sound of her voice. "Kaylee. Aren't you celebrating with the others?"

"I was," she admitted. "Thought I'd find you in here. Figurin' out what it was the Alliance did to River, right?"

"Yeah." Unsure of how to continue the conversation, Simon turned back to his readout screen and called up another angle of the brain scan. "I don't mean to be unsociable, but this is very important. If I can find out the extent of the damage to River's brain, I can start a better drug regimen and suppress more of her errant behaviors."

"It's good that you're helpin' River." He heard Kaylee step inside and hop up on a countertop, along with two clinks of what sounded like glass. "Still, you're the reason we've got such a good haul, and that's cause for a drink, right?"

Simon was about to politely refuse, but the look in her eyes made him swallow his words. Something made him turn off his screen and face her completely, made him walk over and gracefully accept the cup of engine swill she offered.

"You miss the hospital?" she asked once they'd choked down a mouthful of the wine. "Miss doctorin' on Core-world peoples, savin' people with your fancy surgeon tools?"

"I can't truly say that I prefer this," Simon admitted with a wave around the infirmary. "I mean, I graduated in the top three percent of my class. I made surgeon. I've done an enormous amount of good in the operating room, and I was able to save someone on Ariel. If I hadn't been there, that man could've died." His voice caught as he thought back to those moments when the incompetent attending surgeon insisted he'd done nothing wrong. "I realized how much I missed being there, where I could save people, instead of..."

Kaylee finished his thought. "Instead of here."

Simon shut his eyes and lowered his chin to his chest. He sounded selfish and spoiled, like a grounded child complaining that he wanted to play with his friends despite his punishment. The doctor waited for Kaylee to reply, either in an angry shout or, even worse, that softly injured voice that told him he'd been a royal idiot once again.

"Simon?"

"Yeah?" He glanced at the mechanic and was surprised to see her gentle smile. "What?"

"If you wanna talk about it, I'll listen." She patted the countertop beside her invitingly. "Or you could just sit with me, we can drink some wine, and not talk at all." There was a glint in her eye that hinted at her thoughts, but Simon recognized the teasing in her voice. He moved closer and leaned against the cabinets, his elbow brushing against her knee, and sighed as he looked into his cup.

"You mind...just listening?"

She shook her head. "Not at all."

* * *

**Tag to "Ariel" because saving that person had to affect Simon.**

**Review please!**


	7. Death

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Firefly._**

**Prompt #6: Death - He barely knew her. Hearing that the mechanic he'd just saved was gone - it should _not _have ripped out his soul that much.**

**Words: 531**

* * *

"Cap'n didn' mean to be a jerk, Simon. He just gets ornery from time to time."

I hear her, but I can't trust myself to answer just yet. I'm still coming down from the adrenaline spike that Captain Reynolds' words had sent me on.

_Kaylee's dead._

What sort of_ feh feh pi goh _does that? An insane, psychotic _feh feh pi goh_, that's who. I think up a few more choice Chinese swears as I check Kaylee's vitals once more.

She must see my expression, because she says, "Simon?" When I look down at her she adds, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?" I ask, confused.

"Sorry for this. Gettin' shot, puttin' you in that way, makin' you make a choice..."

_Tzao gao_, is she serious? "This isn't your fault, Kaylee," I say, staring into her eyes so she sees I'm telling the truth. "I shouldn't have bargained for my safety with your life. It goes against everything I am as a surgeon. I just - "

"You were worried 'bout your sister. I get it." There's no bitterness in her eyes, just kindness and understanding. "Runnin' from Alliance, you was scared for her. She's your sister."

I wasn't expecting this from her. I expected cursing, or the cold shoulder, or at best, a small thank you before she promptly ignores me. Not a heart-to-heart and forgiveness. This girl...she's something else. Not as coarse as the Captain, not as hard as Zoe, or as rude as that oaf Jayne.

I could tell she was different when she spoke to me planetside, trying to get me to pick _Serenity. _I mostly did it because of the Firefly's disreputable image, but a small part of me was pulled in by the cute engineer's smile. I've lived among enough fake smiles to know a real one when I saw it. Surely someone as wholesome and genuinely nice as her wouldn't fly with complete degenerates.

"Simon?" I shake myself out of my reverie and focus on her again. "I'm awful thirsty. Can I have some water?"

"Sure." I fill a cup of water at the sink and bring it back. "Sit up slowly. That's it." I put my arm behind her shoulders, ready to catch her should she feel weak or dizzy. Major surgery tends to leave people dizzy, especially ones who've lost as much blood as Kaylee had.

After a few seconds she manages to sit up unaided. The bedsheet has fallen away, revealing the still-raw scar on her bare stomach. I stare at it, the reality hitting me once again. I'd gotten this lovely, innocent girl shot. I'd held her life in my hands and demanded protection for River and myself with it. I'd nearly cost Kaylee her life.

Only two hours ago, she was someone I barely knew.

When the Captain had told me she died, it'd felt like someone had reached into my chest and torn out my heart.

Now, I can't imagine what I would've done if anything had happened to her.

* * *

_Feh feh pi goh_ - "Baboon's ass crack."

_Tzao gao_ - "Oh crap."

* * *

**A little post-tag for "Serenity" cuz I want some feels.**

**Review please!**


End file.
